Sin and Legalism, John Owen

This might surprise you, but it's helpful. From John Owen's "Mortification of Sin in Believers" (I've tried to simplify the language a little, maybe it helps).

When a man fights against his sin only with arguments from the issue or the punishment due the sin, this is a sign that sin has taken great possession of the will, and that there is a superfluity of naughtiness in the heart. A man that opposes nothing from sin's seduction and lust in his heart except fear of shame among men or hell from God, is sufficiently resolved to do the sin as if there were no punishment for it; which, what is different from living in the practice of sin, I do not know. Those who are Christ's, and are acted in their obedience by Gospel principles, have the death of Christ,the love of God, the detestable nature of sin, the preciousness of communion with God, a grounded hatred of sin as sin, to oppose any seduction of sin, to all the workings, strivings, fightings of lust in their hearts. Joseph did so. "How shall I do this great evil," says he, "and sin against the Lord?" my good and gracious God. And Paul, "The Love of Christ constrains us;" and, "having received these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all pollution of the flesh and spirit," 2 Cor 7:1.

But now if a man is so under the power of his lust that he has nothing but law to oppose it with, if he cannot fight against it with gospel weapons, but deals with it only with hell and judgment, which are the proper arms of the law, it is most evident that sin has possessed itself of his will and affections to a very great prevalence and conquest. Such a person has cast of, with regard to the particular sin, the conduct of renewing grace, and is kept from ruin only by restraining grace; and so far is he fallen from grace, and returned under the power of the law. And can it be thought that this is not a great provocation to Christ, that men should cast of his gentle, easy yoke and rule, and cast themselves under the iron yoke of the law, merely out of indulgence of their lusts?

This truth should affect both how we approach our own sin as well as how we preach to others about sin. From where do we, as regenerate believers, draw motivation for the mortification of sin? From law and judgment, or the renewing grace of the Gospel? Owen 's warning is strong, that if you're motivating or being motivated by fear and judgment, you are "fallen from grace" and have "returned under the power law", the very thing you were redeemed from.

Rather, use gospel weapons: The death of Christ (and the many realities it brings for our relation to sin), the love of God (which, by the Spirit, compels us), the detestable nature of sin (in light of what God did about it), the preciousness of intimacy with God (and sin's hindrance of it) and therefore a deep hatred of sin as sin.

By the way, for all those on the 'new' Gospel-Centrality bandwagon, this was published (written much earlier) in 1658.

Be blessed.